Ductal lavage in the screening of high-risk women

Due to the high incidence of breast cancer and the excessively high false-positive rate of current screening technologies, adjunctive risk assessment measures are needed. Nipple aspiration cytologic analysis and random fine-needle aspirations have been proposed; however, ductal lavage and cytologic analysis of the effluent is a more sensitive and specific test. The dilemma lies in what should be done subsequent to a ductal lavage yielding malignant or atypical cells. The procedures and potential management strategies are discussed.